The fun of building a playful neighborhood with stencils is there are no building codes to worry about! As I created this collection, I wondered what the HOA would say about these buildings. Bet you can guess why I called the collection There Goes the Neighborhood – now available at StencilGirlProducts.com.
In the video above I’m sharing 5 of my favorite ways to play with them including swapping out windows, reverse stenciling, creating abstract patterns with the windows and more!
What inspired these stencils? My fascination with buildings and of all the stories within their walls. Pun not intended, but there are stories in those stories! The stories of connection, of family, of friendship, of struggle, of growth, of changing times, all of it – past, present, and future.
Along with using the stencils and masks exactly as they are, you have options! Use just part of a building, overlap the buildings, use the windows as standalone elements, so many possibilities! The print below was made by layering the stencils and masks on a gel plate. If you’re curious about gel printing, you can find out more about it here.
These stencils and masks let you quickly build a neighborhood on a gel plate. I could have used a plain piece of paper to take the print, but went for one with colorful lines this time. Those lines were made with a dryer vent and you can see how in this video.
Another option is to add color and pattern to the buildings using stencils from your stash. Below I used Diamond Waves Small, Music Score, Corrugated Lines Small, and City Map Mask with the There Goes the Neighborhood collection Towers, Houses, and Warehouses.
What if you want to put different windows on a building? Easy peasy! In the video, I show you how to mix and match them.
Go abstract with the buildings. Create patterns by using only the windows.
Overlap one building to create a dreamy abstract vibe.
Combine part of a building with another stencil. Below I used one of the There Goes the Neighborhood houses with the vintage book leaves stencil
These stencils surprised me by how much I enjoyed using them on book text. Usually, I want to add copious amounts of color to my stenciling, but not with these on book text. Creating the positive and negative with a stencil is a snap, and in the video I share how to do it.
All the play with these stencils today has involved a gel plate in one way or another but that’s just one of the art mediums you can use with stencils. Watercolors, markers, crayons, spray paints, encaustic, fibers and embroidery, modeling paste, paints, pastels – any art supply you have in your stash can work with stencils!
You can find all of my stencil designs, including There Goes the Neighborhood at StencilGirlProducts.com and if you’d like to go deeper on gel printing with stencils, check out my online workshop, Stencil-rific Layers!
